If there’s no line outside your local watering hole and there’s no wait for the elliptical at your gym, don’t fret. All your gay brethren are probably just doing their part for humanity by participating in AIDS/LifeCycle 2015 for the next week. The annual seven-day bike ride between San Francisco and Los Angeles that draws thousands of participants who help to raise money (last year $15.5 million was collected) and awareness in the fight against HIV/AIDS. This year the life-changing journey attracted YouTube star Davey Wavey, who will join fellow internet personality Princess Joules, to provide viewers with a glimpse into the fundraiser and the personal stories of its riders. Davey chatted with Queerty about why he decided to become involved with this year.
Queerty: How did you become convinced to become involved with AIDS/LifeCycle this year?
Davey Wavey: As much as I surround myself with all things gay, I first heard about AIDS/LifeCycle only a year ago through a friend. I had no idea of the scope or scale of the event, nor the amount of funding that it provides for San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the HIV/AIDS-related services of the Los Angeles LGBT Center. Since the rides began as the California AIDS Ride in 1993, participants have raised more than $200 million and completed more than 42,000 journeys on bikes from San Francisco to Los Angeles. Once I crawled out from the rock I was living under, I knew that I wanted to be a part of the event.
So you had no previous experience with the ride at all?
I have virtually no experience with the ride — and very little experience biking. What I do have in experience is using my platform on YouTube and social media to share a story or to support a cause. And that’s exactly what I’m hoping to do while on this year’s ride.
Why did you decide it was important for you to participate?
LGBTQ or otherwise, all of our lives have been impacted by HIV/AIDS. Having said that, we know that HIV/AIDS disproportionately affects our community – and it’s the same community that watches my videos and engages with my content Did you know that in the seven days it takes the riders to reach Los Angeles, more than 1,000 people in the United States will become infected with HIV and one out of every five people living with HIV nationwide is not aware of their status? By having a very personal investment in the ride, I can help to educate my audience about HIV/AIDS.
What are you most looking forward to about your week on the road?
On the road, I’m going to be shadowing a husband and wife team who lost their young son to HIV/AIDS. I’m looking forward to capturing their experience and their story, and sharing it with my audience. This couple has a powerful and vital story that needs to be told. I’m honored to help tell it — and I hope to do it justice.
How do you intend to entertain yourself when you’re not on the bicycle?
I don’t anticipate having much down time. Each night, I’m going to interview the husband and wife whom I’m shadowing and trying to keep up with my social media postings. Not to mention, keeping me fed is a full time job so I should have my hands full.
Since you’re a prolific videographer, what kind of shenanigans should we look forward to seeing on YouTube?
I do love my shenanigans, but I don’t think this is going to be that type of trip or video! You’ll have to catch up with last week’s video, “Straight Guys Explaining Gay Sex Toys,” to get your fix.
As a very visible internet personality, you’ve met with both a lot of affection and scorn. How do you shrug off the negativity?
I know that people find my videos and personality to be polarizing. The truth is we live in a large and diverse world, and there is no one that’s going to please everyone. Sometimes I find the feedback to be constructive, and I do take it into consideration moving forward. When the comments are vitriolic, I know that it has very little to do with me and a lot to do with that person’s experience in life or own struggles, battles or internalized homophobia. I don’t take it personally.
What advice would you give to someone planning to pursue a career similar to yours?
Do it because you love it, not because you want to make a lot of money or reach a lot of people. If you’re truly driven by passion and doing what you love, the rest will fall into place.
Follow the AIDS/LifeCycle journey here.
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Captain proton
Begin ad hominem attacks on davey and queerty, completely ignoring the AIDS fund raiser, in 3.. 2.. 1..
James Hart
GREAT body; EMMACIATED face.
zoomlens
We’re all sick of Davey. And to Captain Proton, it’s not much of a fund raiser. Pallotta’s events have extreme over head costs and most of the money raised on this bike-a-thons goes to putting on the event. I don’t think anyone who knows much about AIDS charity and fund raising supports these events. IF you donate to one of these riders, you’re basically subsidizing their bike vacation. And many of the riders end up paying to participate. Why not eliminate the middle man and just cut a check directly the AIDS charity of your choice.
Celtic
Anything being done is appreciated.
DarkZephyr
@zoomlens: Speak for yourself. I can never get sick of Davey Wavey and his incredible nipples.
edwardnvirginia
WELL he is in this instance highlighting an event demonstrating significant and transcendent human needs (caring for the sick and dying) rather than the usual highlighting in-significant human greeds. A good simple measure of the Davey Wavey enterprise may be this: does he spend – on balance – more time, money, and attention on storytelling, self-promotion, and other activities that benefit humankind; and perhaps only he can answer that.
Billy Budd
Davey is disgusting.
Giancarlo85
@edwardnvirginia: Zoomlens is right though… if he really wanted to raise money for charity it wouldn’t be through an event like this one, where perhaps only 10% of the money makes it to the cause.
This is exactly why I investigate charities I contribute to more closely.
AJAnders
The coverage Davey Wavey gets here is nothing short of mind boggling. If he so much as sneezes, Queerty is falling over itself to do a feature about it.
It’s time to broaden your horizons, Queerty. There is so much other stuff to cover than Davey Wavey and the minds of straight guys.
Desert Boy
Jonathan, AKA, Davey Wavey, would not have a career but were it not for Queerty. The old queens who run this site are dazzled by him. Go figure?
Bob LaBlah
I honestly thought by now that “fundraisers” are always out of money by the time their “expenses” are caluculated AFTER all the money comes in. Fifteen and a half million was collected but just where did any of it go?
lykeitiz
Personally, I find Davey physically attractive, but it ends there. What is NOT attractive is his “job”.
What self-respecting, out, gay man does NOT know about the AIDS Rides? Perhaps the kind that always has the camera pointing at themselves?
He says he only learned of it a year ago, yet he’s been babbling on about so-called gay “advice” for years.
The only thing he (and many others his age) truly knows about, are good camera angles.
And yes, I am a bitter old queen. We lost a generation of brilliant, talented men only to spawn twits like this.
Thank you for letting me vent. I have to go now & tell some kids to get off my lawn.
Giancarlo85
Not all young people are like Davey.
Chris
I did an AIDS bike ride just before Pallotta got into promoting them and keeping a huge %age for himself and his company. It was an awesome and very personal experience.
The following year, when the promoters took over, the AIDS ride became all about cross-promotions, including bike rides and events for breast cancer. Within a couple of years, this small ride that had been nurtured by a core of volunteers, had ended.
Since then, I have looked more carefully into the events that I am asked to support. And now, more often than not, I contribute directly to the beneficiaries. ….. How sad, but necessary.
aliengod
He has a great body, but that all goes away when he opens his mouth and speaks.
MacAdvisor
I don’t have a vast amount of time to spend on this nonsense, but the event is not, in and of itself, a charity. It is a fundraising event run by the SF AIDS Foundation and LA LGBT Center. I didn’t bother looking into the LA partner, but the SF AIDS Foundation (hereinafter, “the Foundation”), spend some $300,000 on fundraising last year and raised about $11-½ Million. That means the vast amount of money brought in by their fundraisers went directly to the organization. While they don’t break down revenue sources by event, even if ALL the $300,000 of fundraising expenses went to the AIDS/LifeCycle, which certainly not the case, the money some $15 million, to be split by the two organizations, is an excellent expense/gifts ratio. The Foundations IRS Form 990 is online for anyone to see. The Foundation spends some $14 million on direct program expenses and the rest of staff, who also provide supports for those living with AIDS.
There are charities with better ratios, but not many, and even fewer with as long a track record of accomplishment. The AIDS/LifeCycle seems to raise a great deal of money to support the Foundation’s charitable work.
This is a good event for a good cause supported by a good guy doing a good thing. So, queens, stop bit-hing and start riding that bike.
Bob LaBlah
@lykeitiz: “And yes, I am a bitter old queen.”
I am getting up there and getting close to becoming one myself. How’s got the best deal on Geritol and Doan’s pills?
Bob LaBlah
@Bob LaBlah: I meant to ask who’s got the best deal on Geritol and Doan’s pills? As you can see from my diction I am not lying, I am getting up there.
Fvk847
I’m sorry but who?
BigG
pretty much this guy gets validation clearly based on his body and looks. His videos are pathetic and represent everything wrong with gay culture and perpetuates a negative Stereotype. I think if this guy stopped going to the gym or his gym closed down, he literally would probably have a nervous break down and cease to exist.
Pistolo
I don’t hate Davey Wavey but I do find him to be preachy and holier-than-thou, always touting philosophies while evidencing a level of incredible shallowness simultaneously.
Alan down in Florida
In the words of the great philosopher Taylor Swift – “Haters gonna hate hate hate.”